Looking for opinions. Attending my 1st congress soon and the dress code mood-board has just been published with the theme "dress to impress". For men/ masc dressers - blazers are highly recommended whereas women/femme wear is elegant sleeveless/ open back dresses.

This got me thinking back to congress social dancing vids I've watched where most men are wearing blazers absolutely drenched in sweat.

We all know Salsa is a sweaty sport. Why is the standard for men to wear blazers? Do you personally follow this standard? If you don't, what would you wear instead to "dress to impress"?

Also curious about Follows' perspective, how do you feel dancing with someone wearing a blazer you can clearly see & feel is soaked in sweat?

I've seen festivals that focus on son dancing, but I'm wondering if anyone's aware of a festival that focuses on old music and dances more generally. I'm thinking bolero, danzón, son, but wouldn't mind mambo, chachachá, pachanga, ... basically pre-salsa.

Is there such a thing? Would you be interested?

There is no such salsa footwork class in my town. But I do enjoy shines and footwork with follows as a lead at social.

So I watch YouTube and pick something interesting. But mostly what I do is SuzyQ, diamond steps, basic steps and turns.

But I feel it's kinda boring to me. I guess it's because I do the same things over and over again.

I want to add up more and spice things up to my dance. But I am not sure how to build things up and figure out what would work for social dancing properly.

Do I just need to practice whatever I see on YouTube and try them at social?

I'm wondering your lead shines and would appreciate any salsa shine/ footwork youtube or online class for lead.

Title

I'm looking for recommendations of the best events that have a good level of SBK, or at least SB.

I've mostly been going to salsa-focused events Back2Mambo , Revolution etc) but find the vibe at some of them can be a bit snobby and unfriendly at times, and I am dancing much more bachata these days too so would prefer a mixed festival.

Ones I've already been to:

• Rovinj (we all know what this is)
• Transylvania Fest - was honestly quite disappointed by this one for various reasons and won't go back

I'm considering El Sol but have heard quite a few negative reviews from the new venue. Also considering Bachaturo but am put off by the lack of afternoon socials.

I realise now I should've gone to Varna but it's already sold out :(

Any tips on other festivals welcomed! Ideally Europe but I would also travel.

Thanks

I'm a lead and have been dancing salsa about 4 days a week including one or two socials at least about 7-8months.

I know some follows who mainly focus on performance and I rarely see them at social.

Last time when I danced with them I felt very different from other follows that I danced at social.

Most moves that worked with others smoothly didn't really work with them.

But their shines were amazing. It's just another level.

I am just giving self-feedback right now and think if my lead wasn't clear.

It definitely could be my lead issue but it's hard to accept that my lead was purely bad from my experience and other follows I dance with..

I excuted all the moves in ways that I have learned and what worked the best for me.. But also hard to believe they are not good at social.

Have you experienced this before?

Maybe I will try to dance and talk to them when I see them again.

Hi!

I've learned dancing salsa (on2) 10 years ago and now after some break I'm trying to return to dancing. Back then of course there were several salsa styles like Cuban/NY/LA, but for linear styles like NY/LA one of defining rules was to keep the line, i.e. if you lead a CBL you (as a leader), you step out from the follower's path and move her along the straight line to the opposite side, and the same principle was applied to all other basic and not basic moves.

However now I see that more and more people are taught the concept of "mambo circle" which changes many basic steps, including CBL, 180, 360, etc. I don't know a lot about it, but I guess this style/concept in recent years is pushed to the mainstream by Adolfo's school in NY. Here are some clips him talking about it:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpfgJcePADb/

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4JAFthrLTV/

He is marketing it as a more natural way that he discovered after years of "trying to better understand the thing that we do".

But I have mixed feelings about it. TBH, I don't feel like the previous way of dancing was "unnatural", on the opposite, it requires time to relearn the basics before it will get into muscle memory. And how is it compatible with people who learned the "old" basics?

So, what are your thoughts on it? Do you think/feel it is better/more natural? Does it worth to relearn and apply this new concept on the social dance floor? Do other well known schools/teachers adopt this style besides Adolfo and his school in NY? Wouldn't it lead to even more fragmentation in salsa styles?

Hello,

I'm looking to monitor closer my dance activity (and physical activity in general) but I have very poor knowledge of connected watches.

Would there be a particular brand you'd recommend to dancers and salsa dancers especially? Because I imagine some brands and more adapted to this kind of activity than others.

Also, the connection to Google fit needs to be possible.

The cheaper the better as I'm new to this :)

Thank you!

As a socially- awkward introvert I haven't made what I would consider friends in the dance world, even though I've been taking lessons and going to socials for years. Occasionally I'll have a brief chat with someone that I see frequently, but that's about it. I'm not unpleasant, I just don't really know what to talk about, and most of the people in my scene are a bit younger than me.

I've been working hard on my technique and get told I am a good follower, so I think people like dancing with me, but I notice there are definitely leads who will never ask me to dance, and Ive been getting asked less and less frequently. I'm totally OK going to socials just to dance, but I'm not dancing anywhere near as much as I would like anymore.

I've been wondering lately if my introversion turns people off of asking for a dance.

So I guess I'm asking how is it possible for quiet people to integrate themselves into a dance scene? Do you have to make friends? Do you just have to be really good? Do you find that people want to associate more with you when you get really good? Have you been succesful in making friends in your scene?

I’ll be in Poland for a few days and was wondering where I could find some good socials. Is there a website or facebok/WhatsApp group where I can find events? ;)

I haven't been to any salsa congress and I am thinking to get tickets this year.

I just watched some social dancing at salsa congress on YouTube and they all look like pros.

I know those videos are actually pro level dancers or advanced at least.

But I was wondering most of dancers would be above average there in reality. And would it be hard for beginner or intermediate dancers to find their level partners?

Just wanted to get an idea of what to expect.

Looking for recommendations for good followers that are willing to help a beginner-intermediate lead improve on partner connection and lead clarity. Don’t mind breaking down and building up from scratch. Don’t mind traveling to any of the five boroughs. I’m just interested in quality instruction.

In early 2019, I had taken a friend to a Lindy Hop class. She had remarked to me how the dance was different from Salsa. I had heard of Salsa kinda but never even thought about it. A few months later, I had saw an advertisement for a pop up Salsa class and social on my Facebook.

Oh boy was it different from what I knew! Going from Lindy Hop, it felt like I had forever to do a turn. Salsa just felt so fast pace. I was struggling doing a simple turn to get back on time! I didn’t know anything else besides Lindy at the time so learning the steps of another partner dance was definitely different!

I took classes sporadically off and on until the summer when I decided to make the decision to buy a full month pass!! Honestly, the best decision I ever made!! COVID put a damper on it and I had to relearn everything after the shutdown. But I was so happy to join this community!

It wasn’t just Salsa but through meeting people from dancing Salsa, I discovered a whole new world of other partner dances unrelated to Salsa!! I am by no means an advanced dancer in any of these dances but I am so glad to make that decision to take that class so long ago! Salsa is still my main dance, but I do appreciate it being a gateway dance to partner dances in general!!

What was your introduction to Salsa and how do you feel about it after the fact?!

Seems like there's a good number of salsa rarities that get played at parties that haven't been rereleased digitally. Judging e.g. by the regular posts asking to identify songs that are playing at festivals that shazam doesn't catch.

E.g. Sal Perez' Ahora si, selling for over 100 Euro https://www.discogs.com/release/12799533-Sal-Perez-Y-Su-Yarey-Ahora-Si.

I'm mostly just wondering if you know some other releases that are similarly sought after, or if you have some favorite vinyl-only tracks.

Shines done on New York Timing On2 Eddie Torres Timing. I saw a YouTube video entitled (somewhat I paraphrased it).

My initial thought on this is does timing matter when it comes to shines/footwork? Imposing timing on expressing limits your ability to express and expression shouldn't be restricted in any way shape or form. Isn't ET On2 referring to when to break, which beat to break on? Whereas expression, as it's taught nowadays, don't really adhere to breaks.

What does the title mean to you?

What is your expectations of the timing you have to execute based on the title?

Does timing matter at all when it comes to shines/footwork?

I had been looking for a Salsa Social or some Salsa party in Toulouse, but I could not find anything. I found only a regular Bachata practice evening at one of the dance schools.

Do you have some recommendation for me? Where could I go salsa dancing in Toulouse?

Thanks for the hints and tipps.

Hi everyone. I'm both new to Salsa and this community. I've been attending official lessons for a month now but I've danced socially for years. In my homeland we have a culture of dancing similar to Latin America and I started salsa in hopes of finding a way to have fun.

I'm a decent follow and with most leads I can usually pick up what they're putting down. I'm by no means flashy or confident but this goes away once I know the guy.

I attended my first proper social last night and I was not impressed. The some of other follows were incredibly catty. One of the women actually elbowed me to launch herself at a lead who was talking to me. Another refused to make eye contact with me after we were asked to turn to the person beside us (there was a small lesson/warm up at the start). Another openly laughed at pointed at my friend who's very very new.

I'm not going to let mean girls deter me but I have to ask if this is normal? While the leads are super friendly and encouraging, idk if I want to be surrounded by so many stank faces when I'm just trying to have fun.

Is this just a rite of passage, you get shat on at the beginning and then get to be horrible once you're no longer a newbie?

Similar experiences? Advice?

So I am not against it per se but I notice some people trying to talk during a fast salsa song.

I really like to be in the moment but they get all weird for some reason. Not sure why.

I lose count and focus though and get sloppy. Can you share why youal do this? I'm not sure the reason or how to respond.

Hi all, I have encountered a few salsa songs I like over the last few months that despite my best efforts I am unable to find the names of. I've tried Shazam and also searching by my best guesses of the lyrics (spanish is my 2nd language) to no avail. I'm thinking they might be some quite obscure records that have not been digitized or something. I'll put the links to them below with the lyrics I've made out for reference (could be wrong), I'm hoping some of you might recognise them. Any help is much appreciated :)

Number 1:

"En tus manos yo pongo mis dieras", "ilusiones fantasias, esperando aquel amor"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GCzl9ce5Hk&list=PLBnkKhSWQL-ezbIu-tqib-i4WzLFumapu

Number 2:

"te traigo un son, porque es ese que manda"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTjmVSz1lqU

This month, I am focusing a lot on salsa dancing. Doing private classes reguarly as well as going out social dancing close to 3 times a week. Since I've posted here when I've had negative outcomes, I am going to be reflecting on my progress and what I've learned weekly for the next few weeks. Hopefully this can help other beginners lurking around here too.

When I started learning salsa more seriously the last few months, I had done a lot of private classes, but I wasn't social dancing as much because it gives me some level of anxiety and I was having negative experiences. This past week, and based on advice from this group, I pushed myself to social dance more. To give myself a concrete goal and make it easier to stick it out in the beginning when I was feeling down, I set a goal of 5 dances a night, and about 15 dances in total in the week. Once I've danced 5 times, I give myself permission to go home. I am lucky to be in a place with a lot of socials, so I've ended up in socials at least 3 times a week.

TLDR: Overall, I've majorly improved my social dancing even though I didn't necessarily change any of what I am able to do on the dance floor. I've gained a bit more confidence as a result. I still get stressed out before dance, but I noticed something very interesting today - I had friends with me, and I was dancing with them along with other people - that improved my confidence by A LOT because I felt at ease with my friends, that transferred to ease with everyone I danced with, but I am also learning it depends on the day completely.

Here is what I learned along the way.

Social dancing takeaways

* I started smiling more and focusing on my connection with the person instead of worrying about moves that I am making or can't make. I became more intentional with eye contact, smiling, as well as really gauging where the other person is at. I stopped giving a shit about dancers who do not enjoy a dance with me

* I stopped trying to make the moves I am learning in private class happen in my social dance for now. I stick to turns, cross body, cumbia, good basic step. Yes it is boring and I know more moves than this, but I've felt that I need a lot of time on the social dance floor to improve my lead and frame before attempting things that I seem to be able to do in class well but not on the dance floor

* I learned that if you are like me, and are not precise with movements yet, It is really an overkill to try more than one move a dance that you're still not 100% confident in. If I do more than that and I screw up, the dance loses the energy.

* I started finally getting compliments sometimes on my lead and feeling more connection with people. IT taught me clearly that I don't need to be a fancy dancer to enjoy a dance with people

* I learned that so much of my ability to lead well is dependent on my mood, my tiredness, and so many factors. Sometimes i will show up at the dance floor and I can't lead an interesting dance, because I am tired, or down, or had a stressful day and my absent mind makes it much harder to focus on the beat, and other factors.

* I started being more expressive. When I am dancing a song I like, I sing along to it, and I just try to be present with the song.

Steps/combos/move takeaways

* I have a repotoire of about 10 moves, but I can't really yet do them on a social dance floor. Open break is the thing I am still trying to perfect at the moment. I can do cross body lead well, but I have a hard time doing cross with turns on time. My frame is getting slowly better, but I lose it often, as well as lose rhythem in my steps as I do a move. I am lucky to be in private classes, but they dont really help me figure out how to lead someone into a move

* I am still too limited in my turns. There are a lot more ways to turn but I haven't yet been comfortable with them and I see that they can improve my dance quite a bit. I also struggle in closed position to step well and transition in more smooth ways. I am hoping this comes with time and more practice

* My overall ability to find the beat has improved by A LOT. staying on it is easier with more experienced followers as they help me with that

What I want to focus on next

I want to be able to do cross body + turns moving around more fluidly. I'd also like to be able to do at least three of the moves I can make that use open break to do on the social dance floor.

Or is it the other way around? If you look at pro athletes who started when they were younger, I bet almost all or half of their learned muscle memory are so permanent that it's all just like walking to them.

Clearly there's repetition. But perhaps, the amount of repetition or practice AFTER engraining important moves, nuances, disciplines is key. Because as much as I love dance (or any other body performance type of hobby) there's still the normal typical life where you need to compartmentalize or have these sessions as efficient as you can get, sort of like blocked chunks of time, and you clearly wouldn't want to get too distracted from it IF you're just wanting to be a casual-so so dancer/social dancer like I am.

Talent, genetics or just born or evolved creativity? I have a friend who started when he was ten. He's now in his late teens and does compete, but have truthfully shared how he often still feels inadequate. I help assist his coach from time to time, and I do kind of agree, his one on one performing on stage hits all the checkmarks. But I agree he misses that spark or ingenuity when it comes to partner, social dancing. He's definitely terrific in self work shines. But he's not the best compared to some of my late 30s-40s starters of just 2-3 years but have been super consistent with training. So I wonder if being "born" with it also plays a role, I don't want to get too deep in it because there's a lot to be said here even if we scope out to other performance or athletic occupations.

Whenever I'm in my "C" game, I get combo fog. I'm sure you've felt this, it is when moves that you know more becomes a repeat, repeat turns, repeat combos. It may also be a follow limitation. And I know we can get off nights. I seem to remember the BETTER non redundant moves when I've practice that new move over and over, but they may still just disappear. Instead, I'm left with the most basic moves, the ones that I started with, the ones that I clearly remember because I started with them, during my "C" game. I wish it just happens, getting the new discipline or moves I've practiced for on any C game. Or that they become part of my normal social dancing. So yes, I guess this is where repetition and practice comes in but I guess my question is, how much is enough where it's implanted in you where you don't really need to always practice it? I took several months off, but atleast a few new moves I've learned over in Ibiza were surprisingly there in my normal C game. It seems like memory or burning in the memory with a location or a different experience could really help, especially for those who started out at a later age (takes more neuron pathways etc to develop compared to younger ones).

How do you manage or psyche in differences between liking competition, being competitive but also liking loving music and dance, can you do both? What if you get lost on all things competition and show and forget about love and dance, is this why some people just stay away from anything competitive like jack and jills, but some competition can grant you recognition even money?

Okay so I can’t remember any other words but Zumba and ush

It’s a salsa song that has the beat plays and then pauses and says Zumba and then the beat continues pauses and then says ush

What’s the name😭😭

Hello everyone,

I am living in colombia and a girl that i m dating invited me to go to a Social Salsa meeting. She knows i do not dance, never did. I might take classes in the future but i wonder if I can go to the social only to drink and see people dancing? Even if she dances...

Thank you for the answers.